Parental Involvement in School Management - Example

Name of institution Student name Student ID number Subject title Code Parental involvement in school management School reform refers to the transformation of public education to increase student success in learning institutions (Baum, 2003). For instance, parental involvement is a school reform initiative that aims to involve parents in the functioning of schools such as in the methodologies of teaching and the processes of administration. Pressure has been mounting on school systems around the world, such as in United States of America, Australia, United Arab Emirates and other parts of the world to adopt reform designs and initiatives that improve student success and equip them with skills that they need to effectively participate in both national and international economies. In this essay, I will discuss on a reform program that relates to parental involvement in school reform. Parental involvement is an important school reform initiative, which involves the active participation of parents in school activities. Parental involvement calls for parents to commit their time, energy, resources and good will to improve the performance of their children in school.School systems should implement parental involvement as a school reformbased on the belief that students' performance can be improved through incorporation of a mission, vision, and strategy that consider all the aspects of a school's operations (Al Sumaiti, 2012). The reform may involve restructuring the organization of a school or changing the school's culture to ensure increased parental involvement. Implementation of parental involvement may vary from one system to another, but they all recognize that parental involvement is essential for students’ success in school. Program objectives: The implementation of the parental involvement program in schools should have specific goals which may include: (i) To increase the success of students through partnerships with parents, teachers and the students. (ii) To promote parent participation in school activities through partnership and volunteering. (iii) To ensure democratization of school management and governance through engagement of parents from diverse populations in the community. (iv) To promote a collaborative and community-based approach on education through sharing of resources and good-will. (v) To promote effective communication between the school and the parents for smooth running of school programs. Implementation: Parental involvement in children’s schooling can be carried out in many different ways which range from formal to informal. For instance, parents can be active members of parent-teachers associations (PTAs) and board members of the school management. In addition, the school can organize weekly workshops bringing together parents, teachers and students in which parents can be familiarized with the content that their children learn in school. Parents can also volunteer to guide students in class as class-assistants, helping students in the playground, or even accompanying students in educational trips. The parents may also attend school events such as music concerts and drama festivals to accompany their children as they perform. In general, these forms of parental involvement reflect positive impact on students’ performance, ranging from behavioral improvement to academic success(Epstein & Connors, 1994). Research shows that school reform initiatives that are related to parental involvement improve students’ behavior, attendance as well as positively improving student success and achievement in school (Merttens, 1996). Successful parental involvement in school reform involves the active participation of a parent or guardian in the education of his or her child. This involvement increase the cooperation and attention of teachers and parents on student’s school work, and eventually improves their performance. Parents and guardians can also attend school functions, meetings or volunteer in classroom activities such as debates and writing competitions. The parental involvement in class activities increases students’ confidence and seriousness in their studies, developing the desire to portray excellent performance to their parents. One successful school reform program that relates to parental involvement is the engagement of parents in planning and leadership of schools. Through such engagement, parents are assigned roles in all the decision-making bodies and advisory committees, and they are properly trained in the areas in which they will serve (Al-Taneiji& McLeod, 2008). This engagement of parents in the school management enables them to be committed in the school affairs and consequently make decisions that correlate to the positive improvement of their children’s success in school. An example of a school that uses this program is Clara E. Westropp School in Cleveland. Similarly, there is an equal representation of parents in all the school management organs, minimizing any chances of discrimination or bias by dimensions of diversity such as social class, race, religion, ethnicity, language or even nationalities. Through parental involvement, an opportunity is created for all parents to access community-based services and programs such as health care facilities and human care (Baum, 2003). Parents recognize that student success does not originate from school, but it is a shared responsibility between both the school and the community at large through the intervention of parental intervention. The school can organize a weekly function where parents and other members of the community can gather in the school to share things such as food, drinks and other essential human care items. As a result, the social class gap between the rich and poor students can be bridged and equity for all students is achieved as well as improved student achievement. Parental involvement in school management and governance improves the effectiveness of communication between the school and the parents' body. Improved two-way flow of communication increases parents' participation in school activities such as attendance at general meetings and price-giving ceremonies. Communication can be effectively enhanced by technologies such as interactive phone systems, electronic messages, online chat websites and publications that ensure that the parents' feedback is properly and timely solicited. For example, Al Bawadi Elementary school in Abu Dhabi has a parental involvement program in which involves weekly visits to the school by parents to discuss the progress of their children with teachers (Merttens, 1996). This initiative increases the cooperation and support of parents in their children’s school work and boosts performance of the children in school. Schools should teach the parents in areas in which they can be involved in school to eliminate any discomfort that might bar them from getting involved and remove any discrepancies that might arise between them and teachers (Al-Taneiji& McLeod, 2008). The school can hold at least one joint workshop in a week for both parents and teachers to improve the relationship between teachers and parents to enable them to collaborate in ensuring the success of the children. During such a workshop, teachers can show the parents reading areas and strategies for their children, and equip them with essential information on what to specifically look for in the student's work. This approach encourages family members to discuss school work with the children, share ideas, conduct interviews, and provides feedback on how to boost students' performance in school. Teachers should be trained on how to promote a three-dimensional relationship among them, children and parents to avoid any barriers that might limit the effectiveness of parental involvement in the schooling of their children. For example, teachers could participate in visits to the student's homes, unlike traditional practices in which only parents go to school to discuss their children's progress.Weekly visits by teachers to students' home would help in establishing trust with the parents and also creates an opportunity for the teachers and parents to discuss ways in which the parties can support the students in their studies(Al-Taneiji, 2012). The schools that have adopted this program have shown a reduction in the cases of indiscipline, increased rates of attendance and improved performance of students in the class. According to (Epstein & Connors, 1994), the school reform initiative of engaging parents in school management and general school activities should be personalized and tailored in addressing a particular need in a specific school or the community, and it should be flexible. For example, Sacajawea Elementary School in Seattle has a parental involvement program in which parents are encouraged to contact other parents to be informed about activities going on in school. Another school, High Point Elementary, in the same district has a different program in which parents are encouraged to volunteer in school activities such as coaching students on sports. This is because different schools are composed of different populations that exhibit diversity, and one reform program in one school may not suitably fit in a different school. In conclusion, schools need to implement reform programs that will help in improving the success of students in school. Reform initiatives that embrace parental involvement should be adopted by engaging parents in school management and daily school activities to promote their children’s achievement as well as improving democratization of school governance. Parental involvement has a significant impact on improving the achievement of a child in school. This initiative will help in the transformation of schools into community-based learning and leading hubs in the society and bridge the performance gaps that exist among students due to the diversity of social class, race, ethnicity, language or nationality. References: Al Sumaiti, R. (2012). Parental involvement in the education of their children in Dubai. Policy Brief, 30. Dubai School of Government Al-Taneiji, S., & McLeod, L. (2008). Towards decentralized management in United Arab Emirate (UAE) schools. School effectiveness and school improvement, 19(3), 275-291. Al-Taneiji, S. (2012). The Role of Leadership in Engaging Parents in United Arab Emirate Schools. International Education Studies, 6(1), p153. Baum, H. (2003). Community action for school reform. Albany: State University of New York Press. Epstein, J. L., & Connors, L. L(1994). Trust Fund: School, family, and community partnerships in high schools. (Report No. 24). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center on Families, Communities, Schools and Children's Learning. Merttens, R. (1996). The IMPACT Project: Parental involvement in the Curriculum*. School Effectiveness And School Improvement, 7(4), 411-426. Read More